The Dallas Mavs and the Mavs Foundation have donated a new tech center in Dallas. Last week the new tech center at Dallas Leadership Foundation’s Ring of Hope Boxing Club officially opened its doors, according to the Mavs website. The center has school supplies, artwork, laptops, and furniture that kids at Ring of Hope Boxing Club can take advantage of.
“We work with 13 different neighborhoods across the city…what you’re doing is bringing needed resources,” Wil McCall, the president of the Dallas Leadership Foundation, shared on the Mavs website. “We work with about 22,000 people here and a lot of those folks are in need of food help, they need their neighborhoods cleaned up and they need help transitioning from prison back to work. We are so excited for this tech center. We are so thankful to the Mavs Foundation, to the Mavericks, for giving us a gift that will allow us to be a gift to this community.”
The facility was built thanks to a grant from the Mavericks and the Mavs Foundation, along with help from Chime as a sponsor.
Theo Pinson, the swingman for the NBA team, took part in the opening day celebrations. Pinson signed a new one-year contract with the team over the summer, according to the website.
Pinson shared that the tech center can be a good advantage for kids in the area.
“I want the kids to understand, first of all, how important it is to have these connections,” he said. “For them to have that computer lab is important. That’s a huge advantage and I advised all of [the kids] to take advantage of this tech center.”
The Dallas Leadership Foundation and The Bolos Foundation partnered to open Ring of Hope in 2010. It was created for at-risk youth in Dallas, according to the Mavs website, and provides mentoring and training. Kids are taught shadowboxing, which is said to help them learn discipline, spirituality, and strength.
Katie Edwards, the President of the Mavs Foundation, shared that the foundation was excited to collaborate with Chime to establish the new tech center. Edwards also attended the opening day to share a few words with the kids.
“We are so happy to be here,” she said at the event. “This gift is so important for us to give this to the Dallas Leadership Foundation and the neighborhood and community. You guys have some special new things inside… whether that’s for learning, mentorship, after school or summer. It’s also for the community. We are so happy to be able to open the doors and invite everyone in today to see all the new renovations.”
Pinson also spoke during the event and encouraged the children to take advantage of their new facility.
“Take advantage of what y’all have here. Y’all are ahead of the game already. All I want is for you to have fun. You can’t lose the fun part. Even in the NBA, a lot of guys don’t have fun, they’re just out there to get paid. Continue to have fun and take advantage of all these people here trying to support you and your dreams,” he said.
The Mavericks website shared that students can use the center to apply for colleges, connect with their families, and more.
